


You Make Everything Better

by Tea_and_Deerstalkers



Category: Real Person Fiction
Genre: Abusive Relationships, F/M, Fluffy, I Don't Even Know, Kinda, Short Chapters, repost from wattpad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-15
Updated: 2015-06-15
Packaged: 2018-04-04 13:26:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4139274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tea_and_Deerstalkers/pseuds/Tea_and_Deerstalkers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You move away to escape your ex, and find out your neighbor is Markiplier</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was the first apartment that you had found in your price range, and all you wanted was out. You didn't care if it was in the back arse of nowhere or if it was in another country... the place could be a cardboard box in an alleyway for all you cared, just as long as it was away from him...

For months, your friends and family had pleaded you to leave your fiance, that no good would ever come of marrying him, that he was just a scumbag, and you just pushed them all away, of course you did. Everyone does stupid things when they're in love...  
Sadly he had done something incredibly stupid... not only had he cheated on you, he'd gotten the girl pregnant... and this wasn't a new development, this was months ago. He was going to be a father within the next few months, and how did you find out? By having the woman's psycho boyfriend started hammering on your door in the middle of the night. That's right, he cheated with a girl who was also in another relationship.

When you calmed down a little and had a good look at the place you'd started renting, you realized that it was a pretty nice flat, it wasn't in a bad area, and it wasn't too hard to get to work from where you were... not that you wanted to stay at that job much longer anyway... but everything in time, you needed money right now and quitting your job wasn't the smartest move after just moving out to live on your own.


	2. Chapter 2

It took a week or so before you were able to move into your own flat. You had left your fiance in a hurry, packing everything you could and moving back to your parents, but that was just as bad there... No-one was really talking to you since you pushed them all aside for him...  
No matter, you didn't have to stay there long.  
Finally, you were given the okay and you were able to collect the keys. You moved everything in that night, there were only a few boxes so it didn't take long. The rest would have to be ordered, but for now you had your clothes, an air mattress, your laptop... Anything you could carry when you packed your things and left.  
Lugging everything from your car really took it out of you though so you just ordered pizza and collapsed on the floor for the night, not even bothered to inflate the air mattress.

You didn't know what time it was when you were woken up, all you knew was that it was late, it was very dark outside, and you couldn't hear any cars outside. You roll over and check your phone, realizing that it's nearing the early hours of the morning when all of a sudden there's a scream and a loud thud from next door.  
You jump to your feet and run to press your ear to the wall, listening to try and work out what was going on. For a long while, there was nothing, and then suddenly.  
"No, no no!" a man screamed. "Stop!"  
You don't know why, but something in you forces you to grab your baseball bat and leave your apartment, dashing down the hall to your neighbor's door, knocking on the door frantically.

You realize what a lunatic you must look, stood in a pair of short and a vest, wielding a baseball bat when your neighbor answers the door, seeming completely calm.  
"Hey, what's up?" he asked, looking you over for a moment. But you can't answer, you just blink in shock as you realize who he was. It was Markiplier, well, Mark Fischbach, one of your favorite Youtubers...  
"I..." you swallow, hiding the bat behind you. "I'm your new neighbor..." you mutter, holding out your hand. "I thought you were being murdered"  
The man let out a deep laugh.  
"Oh... man, I'm so sorry..." he chuckled, taking your hand and shaking it. "Hi, I'm Mark... I had no idea... that wall isn't soundproofed, no-one's been living in that apartment for a while"  
"I... I know who you are..." you mumble, quickly adding. "Well, now I know who you are... all I could hear was someone screaming and some thumping..."  
"Well, isn't that fun" he smiled, placing his hands on his hips. "Well uh... I'm sorry if I woke ya'..."  
"No, it's fine... I probably shouldn't have been asleep in the living room anyway... the floor isn't very comfy..." you huff, smiling awkwardly.  
"Why were you on the floor?" he asked, cocking his head a little.  
"Oh... I just moved in today and I really couldn't be asked to inflate my air mattress... it's a real pain to inflate and I'm pretty sure it's got a puncture and... just ugh, you know what, I look crazy standing here with a bat... I'm just gonna... go" you stumble over your words, shuffling awkwardly.  
"Oh, was that to save me?" he grinned, taking the bad from you and wrapping both hands around the grip, swinging it a little.  
"Uh..." you giggle "I didn't know what it was for... I panicked..."  
"Well it's nice to know someone's got my back..." he grinned. "Well, seeing as I woke you up... would you like me to give you a hand with your air mattress? So you can get some proper sleep?"  
"Oh, you really don't have to do that" you gasp, your eyes widening.  
"Ah don't worry about it, It's the least I could do for coming to my rescue" he grinned, leaning on the bat like a cane.  
"Uh... well, if you're sure" you smile.  
"Lemme just lock up and I'll be by to help you" he smiled, handing you back the bat and disappearing back into his apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

(y/n) = your name  
You wandered back into your own apartment, looking around and quickly straightening up the few belongings you owned, placing the pizza in the kitchen so you'd have something to eat tomorrow...  
Suddenly there was a knock at the door, you padded over and opened the door, smiling up at your neighbor.  
"I just realized that I never ask you what your name was" he chuckled, walking into your living room.  
"It's (y/n)" you smile, wandering over to pull the air mattress out of one of the remaining boxes.  
"So, why the move?" he asked, sitting down on the floor.  
"I'd... rather not talk about you" you mumble as you unfolded the mattress.   
"Family problems?" he asked, frowning a little.  
"Kinda, but that's not really why I moved, that's why I'm not living at my parents right now..." you sigh, sitting down beside him.  
"Relationship problems?" he asked  
"Yeah..." you sigh, shaking your head quickly "But that's over with, this is a new start..." you force a smile, turning to look at him. "What were you recording?"  
"Ah I wasn't recording, I was just playing Slender Space again..." he smiled, stretching a little. "Okay, let's get this thing inflated" He jumped to his feet, grabbing the end of the mattress and finding the valve. You pass him the pump and sit back down watching him wrestle with the thing until he was just sat on the floor next to you again, hitting the pump rather than pressing it with his foot.  
"Thank you for doing this" you chuckle, seeing him flop onto the floor in mock exhaustion.  
"It's fine... I'm glad to help, really... it's nice to have a neighbor that isn't incredibly old or incredibly grumpy.

After about an hour of trying to inflate the mattress, Mark gave up, collapsing on the floor in genuine exhaustion. "I think I can safely say that it has a puncture" he groans, looking up at you. "I tried," he said with puppy dog eyes.  
"Yes, you did" you smile, poking one of his cheeks. You had grown incredibly comfortable around him very quickly. He was just that sort of guy. Plus, you'd been watching his videos for years, you felt like you knew him so well already.  
"I don't know what else to suggest though" he frowned, sitting up and looking around him. "I can't have you sleeping on the floor, that's no fun"  
"Well, I was going to go shopping for a bed tomorrow, I don't have work until Monday" you mumble, starting to fold the air mattress up again.  
"Well, this may sound a little creepy, but do you want to sleep on my couch for the night?" he asked, sitting up again. "I'm sorry it's not much, but it's better than leaving you to sleep on the floor..."  
"You really don't have to do that" You smile at him. "You didn't have to help me with the mattress, you certainly don't have to let me sleep on your couch"  
"Don't be silly, come on, I'm literally next door, It'll be just like sleeping in another room..." he smiled, getting up and jingling his keys a little. "And if you give me a shout tomorrow, I'll help you put the bed together"  
"Why are you so nice?" you sigh, getting to your feet.  
"I'm not overly nice, I just treat people the way I'd like to be treated..." he smiled, leading you back to his apartment.

And that's how you ended up spending the night on Mark's sofa. He'd given you a blanket and one of his pillows, saying goodnight before disappearing into his room. It normally took you a while to fall asleep int someone else's house, but the pillow he'd given you was like a long hug, the smell of whatever shampoo he must've used and body spray surrounding you as you fell asleep.  
You must've really been out because you were woken by Mark's voice for the second time since you had moved in, this time he was laughing and shaking your shoulder.  
"Come on sleeping beauty" he chuckled, kneeling beside you. You gasped, sitting up quickly as you remembered that you weren't in your own apartment.  
"Oh god, I'm sorry..." you groan, rubbing your eyes.  
"That's okay, you must've needed the rest" he smiled, standing up and pushing his hands into his pockets. "listen, I actually finished everything I needed to do today while you were sleeping, do you want me to come with you to help carry stuff?"  
"Aww, you really don't have to do all this" you chuckle, your cheeks flushing a little as you smile up at him. "Really, Mark... you've given me such a warm welcome..."  
"Well, sounds like you've had a crappy time if you had to run away from your ex... I just thought some kindness would help you feel better..." he muttered, blushing himself now.  
"And it has" you smile sadly. "I guess if you aren't busy, then I'd love the help" you mutter, getting to your feet. "Thank you" You hold your arms out awkwardly, asking for a hug. He immediately accepted, wrapping his strong arms around you and holding you tight.


	4. Chapter 4

(h/c) = hair colour

You told Mark to give you some time to get washed and changed as you said your quick goodbye and went back to your own apartment. You made a mental note of the furniture you needed, looking around the flat to see what kind of thing you should look for and where it would go.  
After a quick shower and a change into a pair of jeans and a black blouse, you ran a brush through your tangled (h/c) hair and made your way back next door to grab him.  
You drove as you two went down to Walmart, it just seemed easier than to go from store to store to try and find everything you needed.  
Along the way, Mark found some awful 80's radio station and sang out of key. By the time you had parked, your sides were aching from laughing so hard.  
It didn't take long to find a bed, it was only a futon, but it would do for now. You also bought a few flat pack things, a coffee table, a closet. You needed to order your sofa, but that was fine, you didn't need a sofa, you didn't even have TV at the moment... but all in good time. You still needed to get food. You were thankful for the money you'd put aside for the wedding, that was coming in handy...  
"Fancy something better than pizza for dinner tonight?" Mark asked, pushing the shopping trolley towards groceries.  
"Nothing is better than pizza" you chuckle, standing on the other end of the trolley as Mark pushed you around.  
"True... if you really want pizza, I can find a place around here..." he smiled, swerving a little to make you shake.  
"I don't know... I thought you were going to help me put my bed together" you grin, gripping the trolley tighter.  
"Ah you're right" he chuckled, starting to turn you down the grocery aisles, slowing a little so you could grab some things and put them into the trolley.  
"So the guys will be around with the sofa on... Sunday" you mumble, grabbing a box of cereal. "When I get paid I'll be able to get a TV... I can use my Xbox as a DVD player" you mumble, thinking about everything you left at your ex's house.  
"I'm surprised how much stuff you need to buy" Mark frowned, looking along the shelves. "You must've been in a hurry..."  
"Well, yeah... kinda" you sigh, hopping off the trolley and walking along side it. "I'm just glad to be away from him..."  
"He sounds like a real douche..." Mark sighed, patting your back a little "You're better off not with him..."  
"I know" you smile, grabbing a few boxes of cookies.  
"Is that why you're still wearing an engagement ring?" Mark mumbled, looking up at you. You look down at your hand and sigh, playing with the ring a little.  
"It just feels... weird, taking it off" you mumble, you'd been engaged to your boyfriend for almost two years...  
"I understand" Mark smiled, pulling you into an awkward hug.  
"I guess I could get some money of I pawned the ring..." you mumble, looking down at it once more before going back to shopping.  
"You don't need to give it up until your ready, I'm sorry I brought it up" Mark frowned, taking hold of the trolley again.  
"It's fine, I'm glad someone actually wants to talk to me about it... my family told me ages ago that he was no good... that he was dangerous, but I didn't listen" You smile.


	5. Chapter 5

You don't know how he managed it, but Mark was able to make you laugh the rest of the way around Walmart, handing the trolley over to you and dancing off down the aisles.  
"I think we're done here" you grin, pushing the trolley towards the checkout.  
It was a nightmare trying to get everything into the car. Mark had offered to go home and pick up his car to help, but you finally managed it, even though Mark had to sit with a load of shopping on his lap on the ride home.  
Once you were indoors, you set about putting everything away, and Mark started moving the flat packs through to your room.  
It wasn't until you had finished the closet and put your clothes away that you realized just how much you had left behind.  
"I can't do this, I can't just buy everything again, I need to go back and see if he's still got some of my stuff" you frown, looking through to make sure you hadn't just put them in other boxes.  
"I want to say there's no harm in trying, but I'm not sure how things ended between you two..." he mumbled "Just do what you feel is right"

It took the best part of four hours to put the bed together, and by that time, you two were far too exhausted to put anything else together.  
"I'll order us something to eat," Mark said, wandering out into the living room. You set about putting the sheets on your bed and folding up the boxes that were now empty. It was looking pretty nice now that it wasn't just an empty room. You made a mental note that you should pick up your boxes of artwork from home, that would liven up the walls. Maybe you could paint something for Mark as a thank you... you had always been a big fan of his, and he did like artwork from fans...  
That thought made you feel a little funny... you moved in yesterday... and already, Mark had done so much for you. It made you wonder if he was like this to everyone?... Maybe he was lonely? He did say his neighbors were pretty miserable, and he did live on his own, no girlfriend...   
Suddenly Mark appeared, popping his head into the room.  
"You had me worried there, I thought you'd died or something" he chuckled, wandering over to you. "What's up?"  
"Nothing" you smile, looking up at him. "Just... very grateful for your help... I think we're going to be wicked friends" you grin, leaning against him a little.  
"I think so too..." he grinned, wrapping an arm around you. "I can keep you awake with my little girl screaming, and you can fight off the butt stabber" You let out a gasp, causing him to jump.  
"Oh my god!" you groan, throwing your hands up in frustration.  
"What is it?!" Mark gasped, genuinely looking worried.  
"I just remembered I have so much nerdy crap in my old loft..." you sigh.  
"At your exes?" he frowned. "Would you be able to get it back?"  
"I don't know... I don't even know if he can afford the rent without me there..." you sigh, falling back on the bed. "Damn it, I knew I'd forgotten something... I just ran out of there, I didn't think..."  
"Well, you said you were going to see if you could pick up some of your stuff... maybe you'll be able to pick it up," Mark said, trying to lift your spirits.  
"Yeah, maybe..." you huff, sitting up again.  
"What uh... How did butt stabber remind you of that?" he chuckled, thinking back over the conversation.  
"I have a longclaw replica!" you groan, grinning at him again.  
"aw, man that it awesome!" Mark gasped.

Mark had ordered Chinese food and you'd managed to find a free movie on youtube that the two of you watched, laughing along to the terrible accents. It felt so comfortable with him, you didn't know if it was where your relationship had just fallen apart, but you actually liked the thought of having Mark there... he wasn't a million miles away from your ex, he was tall, dark haired... he had an amazing voice... but Mark very basically everything he wasn't... he was selfless and funny and didn't take everything so seriously...  
Stop right there... you're not his type so don't get your hopes up... just stay friends, no-one gets hurt that way.  
Mark noticed you were deep in thought and poked you, bringing you out of it.  
"Dreaming about me?" he chuckled  
"No!" you giggle, shoving him playfully.  
"You sure? I've been told I'm pretty irresistible" he sighed, flexing.  
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Fischbach" you grin, reaching over to close the window as the film credits started to roll.  
"I had fun today" he grinned, looking up at you.  
"Me too" you smiled "You turned a crappy time in my life into something great..."  
"I'm glad..." he sighed "And when you're a little more settled in, I'll take you out to dinner... celebrate being single Pringles"  
"Yes, let us celebrate single life by going out with each other," you said the most deadpan voice possible.  
"Yes, that's a perfect idea" Mark chuckled, looking up at you. "We'll see what kind of celebration you want it to be on the night"  
"Okay?" you smiled nervously.

It was getting very late, Mark had a lot to do tomorrow, so he said his goodbyes and left, leaving you in your still very empty apartment. You wandered back into your room and got changed into your pajamas, sitting back against your wall as you listened to Mark shuffling around next door. Although it was quiet without him there to have a laugh with, it was nice to still be able to hear him pottering around. You crawled over to your bed and wrapped yourself up in your new sheets, thinking about Mark.


	6. Chapter 6

(y/n) = your name  
(h/n) = his name

The next day you woke to screaming once again, you pressed your ear to your wall, able to hear Mark typing furiously. You tried not to make any noise as you got yourself washed and dressed, you didn't want to mess up his recording.  
On your way out, you slip a note under Mark's door with your number, telling him to text you when he's finished before you set off to your ex's.  
It was a longer drive than you realized, but at least it gave you time to work out what you were going to say.  
Luckily he was still in the old apartment. You decide against using your own keys and instead knock, stepping back a little.  
It took a few minutes, but your ex finally answered the door, looking incredibly rough.  
"What are you doing back here?" he muttered, leaning against the door frame.  
"I'm here for the rest of my stuff..." you frown, pushing your hands into your pockets.  
"What makes you think I'll let you take it?" he asked, trying to look threatening.  
"I'll make you if you don't let me in," you said simply, sighing at him.  
"You can't just run off without saying anything and then reappear when you want something..." he huffed, rubbing his eyes against the daylight.  
"You don't have to do a thing, just let me in and get my stuff..." you sighed.  
"Your parents won't take you back you know..." he muttered, stepping aside and letting you in.  
"That's fine... I have a place..." you mumble, looking around at the state of the place. It was a wonder why he hadn't been thrown out...  
"What do you mean you've got a place?" he asks, shaking his head a little.  
"I've got a place... I moved out, we broke up... wasn't that clear when I grabbed my stuff and left?"  
"No, because your shit is still here!" he snapped, a little bolder now you two were in the dark of the apartment.  
"So what did you think the past month has been?" you ask, turning to look at him.  
"I dunno, I thought you were just mad at me, taking a break" you huffed.  
"You slept with another woman!" you snapped, glaring at him now. "You got her pregnant months before we were supposed to get married... and you expected me to stay?!"  
"It was just the once-" he started.  
"Did you forget what her psycho boyfriend did when you just happened to be out one night?!" you roared. "That was pretty fucking convenient by the way!"  
"He was going to cave my skull in!" Your ex shouted in defence.  
"You had sex with his girlfriend!" you hiss, advancing on him.  
"It was just the once!" he said again.  
"Oh so if I stabbed you in the neck, that would be fine because it's just the once!?" you shout.  
"No man that's fucking psycho!" he gasped.  
"Get the fuck out... I need to get my stuff and I don't want you following me around..." you growl, pointing at the door.  
"Hey, you can't just kick me out of my own place..." he mumbled, looking up at you.  
"No but the police can when I let them know how you earn your rent!" you snap, storming off into the flat. After a few minutes, you heard the front door open and close. Finally, you were able to grab your things.  
The place was disgusting, all the windows were covered up and half the furniture was missing. You quickly grabbed a few bin bags from under the kitchen sink, avoiding whatever was taped to the pipes and made your way back into your room to collect up the rest of your clothes and belongings.

A few hours later, you had managed to move pretty much everything into your car and was about to grab the last bag on your way out when your phone rang. You didn't recognise the number, but you answered anyway.  
"Hello?" you frowned, pressing the phone to your ear.  
"Hello (y/n)" a deep voice croaked.  
"Who's this?" you asked, sitting down on the sofa.  
"Guess..." the voice croaked  
"Look, just tell me who this is, I'm not in the mood for games..." you sigh.  
"It's the crazed butt stabber, I've killed Mark" the voice chuckled, putting a smile on your face.  
"Oh good, he's noisy as hell... now I'll be able to get a decent night sleep" you sigh dramatically. "Thankyou Mr Crazed Butt stabber"  
"Hey!" Mark cried on the other end, sending you into a laughing fit. "Am I really that noisy?"  
"No, stupid" you giggle  
"Are you almost done at your ex's?" he asked.  
"Yeah, you called me just in time, I was just on my way out" you smiled.  
"Cool, I'm done with filming today, if you want I can grab us some lunch..." you hummed.  
"That would be nice" you grinned "I'll be home in a little while"  
"Goodbye (y/n)" he croaked again in the voice he had originally called you with.  
"Goodbye Mark" you sighed, laughing again as you hung up. Suddenly the front door slammed, startling you a little as your spun round.  
"Who the fuck is Mark?!" your ex snapped.  
"A friend, why?" you asked, facing him properly.  
"I didn't even know we were broken up and you're already with someone else?!" he growled.  
"What part of 'he's a friend' do you not get?" you frowned, putting your hands on your hips.  
"I think it's time you got out of here" he snapped  
"Oh, grew a pair did you?" you ask, sighing a little.  
"Get the fuck out (y/n)" he growled.  
"whatever..." you sighed, moving towards the door "Have fun when that whore's boyfriend comes to kill you..." you mumble  
"What did you say?" he gasped, grabbing your shoulder  
"Get the fuck off me, I didn't say anything..." you frown, turning to look at him.  
"Bitch if you tell him I still live here!" he shouted.  
"Go fuck yourself... it'll teach you not to cheat on people!" you snap, storming out of the apartment, you had just stepped out the door when a hand reached out and grabbed your hair, yanking you back into the flat.  
"If you dare tell him where I live... I will kill you" he snarled as you kicked furiously away from him, but he still had a firm grip on your hair.  
"Get the fuck off me (h/n)" you scream, managing to kick one of his legs hard enough to make him fall over, letting go of you so you could run out of the apartment, grabbing your bag and climbing into the car. You couldn't get the key in and the doors locked fast enough. You managed to reverse out of the drive just as he came running out of the apartment, throwing an empty bottle at your car.  
You were seriously pushing the speed limit as you rushed home.


	7. Chapter 7

You didn't bother to unpack your things, you just jumped out of your car and ran upstairs to Mark's apartment, almost collapsing against his door as you banged.  
The door opened suddenly, Mark catching you as you fell forward.  
"(y/n), what's wrong?" he frowned, pulling you close to his chest. But you couldn't speak, all you could do was cry as you held onto him.  
Mark didn't quite know how to react so he pulled you inside and walked you over to the couch, sitting down with you still against him.  
"(y/n/) It's okay" he muttered, running a hand through your hair, feeling it catch against his fingers. "Please tell me what's wrong..." You try to calm yourself down, breathing deeply.  
Mark was technically a complete stranger and yet you'd never felt so safe. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and took a few more shaky breaths.  
"My... my ex" you swallow, curling up a little closer to him. "My ex told me... that he would kill me... he would kill me if I told the boyfriend of the girl he cheated on me with where he was..."  
"He threatened you..." Mark muttered, you were unsure what way he took that, you couldn't see his expression. "what else did he do?"  
"He... he grabbed me... by the hair and pulled me into the apartment" you swallowed, feeling Mark's arms tighten around you a little.  
"(y/n)... if I'd known he was violent, I wouldn't have let you go on your own..." he muttered, resting his head on top of yours.  
"I don't... he's never been that violent towards me... he was different..." you mumbled.  
"Well you don't have to see him anymore..." he muttered, running a hand through your hair again. "(y/n) you should've called me...   
"It wouldn't have changed anything, I don't want you getting into a fight with him because of me" you frowned, sitting up a little.  
"I wouldn't have let him hurt you" he sighed, pulling you into another hug. "Now... do you want me to help you get everything out of the car?"  
You nodded a little and got to your feet, feeling Mark wrap his fingers around yours as he walked down with you to your car and started unloading your stuff.

By the time you had everything moved, you were a lot calmer and mark had even managed to make you giggle, although you could tell Mark was in a terrible mood.  
"What were you recording this morning?" you asked, sitting down next to him on your bed. He'd just finished helping you stick up a few posters out of your reach and now he was working on untangling the cables to your fairy lights.  
"Just some drunk Minecraft..." he mumbled before looking up at you. "How long have you been a fan of mine?" That made you blush.  
"Um..." you swallowed, smiling at him. "Quite a while... a few years now... I remember when you got your first million subscribers..."  
"Wow" he smiled, looking back at the cables "It's weird..." he mumbled "When you see yourself as a regular person, that so many people know you and know so much about you... hell, I'm sure you could tell me things that I can't even remember off the top of my head"  
"You make me sound like a stalker" You chuckle.  
"No... I don't mean like that but... until a couple of days ago, we'd never met... never talked to each other..." he smiled.  
"I did send you stuff" you mumbled, looking up at your windowsill which was covered in all your small figures and cuddly toys.  
"really?" he asked, grinning at you. "I'd say let's go look for it, but I have an entire closet full of fanmail boxes, I haven't thrown any of the letters away... I can't bring myself to" That made you smile, to think that he'd kept something you'd sent him all that time ago. "But I am very happy we met... and I'm very happy that we're neighbors..."  
"You keep saying that" you chuckled.  
"Because I mean it" he smiled, wrapping an arm around you. "I can see things have been really crappy and I'm just glad that I can be there to make you feel better..."  
I'm glad too" you mumbled, looking down at your hand for a moment before pulling off your engagement ring.  
"He doesn't know where you live, does he?" Mark frowned, watching you play with the ring.  
"No... I didn't tell him anything..." you mumble, placing the ring on your windowsill so you could pawn it at some point.


	8. Chapter 8

(h/n) = his name  
And things went on like there wasn't a care in the world. Work even seemed easier now that you had a nice home and a wonderful friend to greet you every day.  
The rest of your furniture arrived, which gave Mark more excuses to stay at yours until the early hours of the morning. And when you finally got paid for that month, the two of you went out and bought a TV so you didn't have to watch movies on your small laptop screen.  
You were also able to hook up your Xbox and get back to gaming until you fell asleep on your couch.  
On your lazy days, you were often woken by Mark hammering on your bedroom wall, getting you to come round and have breakfast.  
Everything seemed to be going perfectly for once in your life... until one afternoon you were on your own, Mark was away for the day with his friend, filming something. You had just gotten out of the shower and wrapped a towel around you when there was a knock at your front door. You weren't expecting anyone so you looked through the peephole, but you couldn't see anyone. You wondered if it was Mark playing a game with you so you opened your door a little and peered down the hall towards Mark's apartment, but you couldn't see anything. Suddenly something grabbed you from the other side of your door and pushed you back into your apartment. You stumble back, managing to fall to the ground without hurting yourself, but you were grabbed again and pinned to the floor. You were finally face to face with whoever had attacked you, but they were wearing a mask.  
"Get the fuck off me!" you scream, kicking as hard as you could, but he had you trapped, one hand holding your wrists above your head, the other reaching into his pocket for something. You tried again to throw him off, but your body seemed to seize when he pulled out a knife, holding the blade to your neck.  
"I told you... that I would kill you if you told him where I lived..." a familiar voice snarled, pressing the blade a little harder.  
"(h/n)?" you whimper, looking up into his eyes. "I didn't say anything, I swear..."  
"Don't lie to me bitch!" He hissed, pulling the knife away so he could grab your hair, slamming your head into the ground beneath you. "Not only did he find me... but the police found me as well... they found what I was growing... I'm not going to prison!"  
"I didn't tell anyone (h/n)! Please, you've got to believe me!" you gasped, still trying to fight against him. You realized that you couldn't get him off this way, your best bet was to try and scream to alert your neighbors.  
"Shut up!" your ex snarled, slamming your head back against the floor again. "You keep screaming like that and I'm going to have to slit that pretty throat of yours!" But you were too scared at this point, you just continued to scream and thrash beneath him. He slammed your head back once more, harder this time, to the point where things started going hazy, your throat felt like it was closing up and your body felt heavy, but you had to keep fighting. You gave out one last scream before everything slipped into darkness. There were a few muffled noises before you fully passed out, but you couldn't make them out anymore.


	9. Chapter 9

When you came to, the world was still hazy and your body still felt like lead, but there was no screaming, no-one pinning you to the ground. There was, however, a deep and dull pain in your head that spread down the back of your neck and shoulders. You turned your head a little to see that you were sat in a hospital room, it was dark outside now, but you were far too relaxed to think much of it. All you could think was what happened to your ex.  
After a few minutes of staring into space, a young nurse walked into the room, probably reading your notes when she realized that you were awake.  
"Well hello there" She smiled, wandering over to your bed. "How are you feeling?"  
"Like my head's been stamped on" you swallow, staring blankly at her.  
"I can get you some painkillers if you would like" she smiled sweetly. You just nodded and turned your head back to the window. "They won't want to talk to you until you're out of the hospital, but the police want to speak to you about what happened" she explained, still standing beside your bed. You just sighed at that, something inside you knew that (h/n) wouldn't get what he deserved. "There's also a gentleman out here that claims to be a friend of yours... we didn't let him in, in case you didn't know him" she explained. You turned your head back towards her a little.  
"What's his name?" you swallow.  
"Mark Fischbach?" she mumbled, trying to remember the name. The wave of relief that came with that name was far better than any painkillers they could administer. You just smiled and nodded. The nurse smiled in return. "Well, I'll go and get him. He's been here almost all night"  
You felt a little bad about that, but you guessed that it seemed a little strange to people who didn't know you and Mark's odd relationship. He was still just your neighbor, but he'd become so much more lately... and now he was sitting in hospital waiting room even after being told he couldn't see you...  
A few minutes later Mark burst in, looking like he'd been dragged through a hedge backwards.  
"Oh god, (y/n), are you okay?" he frowned, sitting down beside you and taking your hand.  
"I'm fine" you croak, smiling at him weakly.  
"Fuck... I got here as fast as I could, but they wouldn't let me sit with you because I wasn't family or anything..."  
"I understand..." you mumble, squeezing his hand. "You didn't have to sit around waiting for me..."  
"Yes I did, I had to make sure you were okay..." he frowned. "(y/n), I'm so sorry"  
"Don't be... it's fine" you sigh. "Just... what happened? Who stopped him?"  
"I don't know... they just said it was one of the neighbors... I'm just so happy they got to you..." He muttered. You smiled softly, your eyes focusing a little more. Mark had been crying, clearly. His eyes were red and swollen.   
"I'll be okay Mark..." you sighed  
"Well, I know that now!" he groaned, trying to grin at you. "I was so scared... I didn't know what had happened until I saw it on the news..."  
"It was on the news?" you swallowed, sitting up a little.  
"Yeah... not a massive story, but it was mentioned that some guy was arrested, and my friend recognized it as my apartment block... and I just rushed home as fast as I could... they told me that you had been taken to the hospital and I just didn't know what to think... no-one knew how serious your injuries were..." he explained, starting to ramble again.  
"Did you get everything finished today?" you asked, looking up at him. He just stared back at you in disbelief.  
"That doesn't matter right now, what matters is you're okay, and I'm not leaving you until you can get out of here..." He muttered, squeezing your hand.  
"Don't be silly Mark, I'm fine..." you sigh, smiling at him. "you need to keep things updated... your channel isn't something you can just leave for a few days..."  
"How can I possibly concentrate knowing you're in here? Knowing what happened because I wasn't there to help you" he frowned.  
"Mark... neither of us knew this would happen... I still don't know how he found me... but that doesn't matter" you explain.  
"What matters right now is that you're okay..." he muttered, hesitating for a moment before he leaned down and kissed your forehead. "Don't worry about the police or anything right now... just focus on feeling better"


	10. Chapter 10

The doctors kept you in the hospital overnight to monitor your condition. The injuries to your head weren't severe and you were let out the next afternoon. Mark had stayed until they kicked him out and was there at the crack of dawn to be let in again with your pajamas and a bag of sweets to make you more comfortable.  
"What are you doing about your channel?" you ask as he eats some of the chocolate he brought you.  
"I had a few videos pre-recorded in case I got sick, they'll do until you're feeling a little better. I can do a few indie games to fill as well... it's all fine" he muttered.

When the doctors discharged you, Mark helped you to the car and drove you home, taking the scenic route with the radio playing country music quietly. It was a lovely day and it just felt good to have him nearby. When he turned onto a long stretch of road, you reached out, taking his hand again and sighed happily.  
"How are you feeling?" he asked, glancing at you.  
"Happy" you smile, looking out at the trees swaying in the pleasant breeze.  
"You let me know when you're not feeling good... promise?" he frowned, glancing at you again as he turned down another street, getting close to home now.  
"I will" you mumble "I promise"  
"I'll get my recording done earlier so I'm not keeping you awake" he sighed.  
"Mark, you don't need to change your whole routine for me" you frown, looking up at him.  
"I'm not... well, I am. But that's what you do when someone you love isn't feeling well" he huffed, his jaw locking for a moment.  
"You love me?" You blinked.  
Mark was silent for a moment before turning to look at you.  
"Well of course I do" he muttered "You're like this weird ray of sunshine that's just appeared in my life and makes me feel like less of a loser that just sits alone and plays video games"  
"And makes you sit in the hospital all night and worry about me" you sigh.  
"y/n listen to me... nothing that happened the other day was your fault... and I don't see looking after you as some chore. I want to be there for you, I want to show you that a relationship means something other than hurt and fear. I want to just wrap my arms around you and squeeze all those memories out of you, but I imagine that would kinda hurt" he chuckled, trying not to sound so serious.  
You could feel your eyes start to prickle at his words, but just smiled and sank back a little in your seat.

Mark pulled into the drive and helped you out of the car, quickly grabbing your bags and helping you upstairs, but instead of going to your apartment, he ushered you to his.  
"Where are you taking me?" you smirk, looking up at him.  
"Well, I can't look after you from behind a wall, can I" he mumbled, unlocking his door and leading you in.  
"I can just call you if I need your help" you huffed as he closed the door.  
"And what if you pass out or you just don't think it's worth calling me?" he asked, placing your bags on the sofa.  
"You're overprotective" You smirk, folding your arms.  
"And you don't think you deserve to be looked after properly" he huffed back, pointing at you as he walked into the kitchen. "I'm making lunch and you're having some, what do you want?"  
"Well if you're going to force me, then something really bad for me" you grin, leaning against the kitchen counter.  
"Is that wise?" he asked, looking up at you.  
"Hey, it's comfort food. If I can't have it now, when can I have it?" you chuckle.


	11. Chapter 11

After a few days, Mark let you go back to your apartment.  
The police had been round to take a statement from you and DNA from your flat. They knew who had attacked you, there were witnesses, and if the attack wasn't enough to land him in trouble, what the police found in his house added another few years onto his sentence.

Of course, your parents had come to visit you, which wasn't a fun experience. It really was just for appearances. They only stayed for an hour, making sure you were alive and weren't going to move home any time soon.  
When they had left, Mark came round to see you.  
"How are you feeling today?" He asked  
"I'm feeling okay" you sighed, making yourself some tea.  
"I just wanted to warn you that I'm going away for a little while soon... I can see if you can come with me if you don't want to be here on your own?" He asked.  
"Where are you going?" You ask, sitting down beside him.  
"Well PAX is coming up and I've been planning on meeting up with a few people for quite some time now." He explained, almost looking worried like he was doing something wrong.  
"That sounds awesome" you smile, resting your feet on his lap. "Who are you meeting up with?"  
Mark's face lit up a little at that.  
"Well, Bob and Wade definitely, and my friend Jack might actually be coming this year, which is awesome because he's coming all the way from Ireland" he chuckled, unable to say the country's name without a poor attempt at an Irish accent.  
"That sounds amazing" you grinned, taking his hand and squeezing it. "Sounds like you're going to have an amazing time"  
That's when Mark's face fell.  
"But you'd be here all on your own... I mean, what if something happens again? I'll be so far away" he muttered, starting to ramble.  
"Mark I'll be fine" you smile, trying to reassure him.  
"But it's Boston!" Mark sighed. " it's on the other side of the country "  
"I know that" you sigh. "But I have to go back to work. I can't just sit around with you and watch you play video games, I need to pay my rent and buy groceries"  
"I know" Mark frowned. "But what if something does happen and I'm not here for you?"  
"I'll be okay. You'll only be gone for a few days. It's not like you're going for weeks" you smile squeezing his hand again.  
"You could come with me you know..." He mumbled. "I could pay for your tickets and everything..."  
"Mark, no" you sigh. "Go and have a good time. See your friends and talk to your fans."  
"But you cover both those categories" he chuckled.  
He was right. It was almost weird to think that at one point in your life you had never met Mark. You would sit in your room for hours and watch his videos, and now you were practically living with him.


End file.
